Power transmission and distribution systems may include power system protective, monitoring, and control devices such as protective relays, faulted circuit indicators (FCIs), and the like. Throughout, the term “power system device” will include any power system protective, monitoring, or control device. Power system device may also be used herein to describe any device associated with devices which protect, monitor or control power systems. For example, FCIs and radio interface units associated therewith may be considered a power system device.
FCIs play a vital role in detecting and indicating faults and locations of faulted conductors to decrease the duration of power outages and improve the reliability of power systems throughout the world. Electrical utilities depend on FCIs to help their employees quickly locate faulted conductors. Most conventional FCIs utilize a mechanical target or a light emitting diode (LED) to provide a visual indication of a faulted conductor. By visually scanning FCIs located at a site, an electrical utility crew can quickly locate a fault. Industry statistics indicate that FCIs reduce fault location time by 50%-60% versus the use of manual techniques, such as the “refuse and sectionalize” method. Nonetheless, electrical utilities still spend substantial amounts of time and money determining the locations of faults on their networks.
Electrical utilities rely on a number of additional techniques to further decrease time spent locating faults. For instance, modern FCIs frequently have one or more contact outputs that activate on the detection of a fault. These contact outputs can be connected to a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (“SCADA”) system, allowing remote monitoring of a given FCI's status. This technique works well for above-ground sites, where a cable from the FCI to a monitoring device can be installed, and the monitoring device can be connected to a remote site by a communications line. However, this technique is expensive for underground sites, where an underground communications line must be installed.
Another recent advancement is the use of radio frequency (“RF”) technology within faulted circuit indication systems. In one prior art system, each FCI communicates with a radio interface unit which communicates the occurrence of a fault to an external receiver. The radio interface unit is often located in proximity to an FCI within an underground vault, which is susceptible to external elements. For example, vaults may often be filled with water thereby exposing the radio interface unit located therein to also be exposed to such. In another example, for overhead FCI systems, radio interface units are also exposed to the external elements as they are situated in proximity to the overhead FCI device.
More specifically, in one prior art system, each FCI contains a two-way radio that communicates the occurrence of a fault to an intelligent module installed within about 100 feet from the FCI. The intelligent module then uses the existing telephone network to communicate a fault occurrence to a remote site, triggering the dispatch of a team to the fault site. However, this system is vulnerable to phone network outages. In addition, a crew dispatched to the fault site must then monitor a readout located on the intelligent module to ensure that the fault has been properly cleared. As the intelligent modules are frequently located on power line poles, viewing an intelligent module's readout may be inconvenient.
An improvement on this system is the use of a wireless device to monitor radio signals from RF equipped FCIs which are connected to a radio interface unit. Using a wireless device, a utility crew can locate a fault and determine when the fault has been properly cleared by monitoring the display of the wireless device. However, conventional wireless devices provide no indication as to whether a particular FCI is actually connected to the radio interface unit. In addition, prior art devices do not display the status of a plurality of or multiple groups of FCIs simultaneously.
Both overhead and underground FCIs are often located in close proximity to one another. As such, signals from FCIs or other external sources interfere with one another, making it nearly impossible to determine which device's information is being displayed. Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide for a system for identifying each FCI and/or the radio interface unit corresponding thereto. In one present invention embodiment, an address is assigned to each FCI and/or radio interface unit corresponding thereto.
Radio interface units are often located in proximity to an FCI within an underground vault, which is susceptible to external elements. For example, vaults may often be filled with water thereby exposing the radio interface unit located therein to such. In another example, for overhead FCI systems, radio interface units are also exposed to the external elements as they are situated in proximity to the overhead FCI device. As such, it is an object of the present invention to provide for a system and method for adjusting settings to a substantially self-contained device.
Moreover, prior art apparatus and methods for adjusting settings of power system devices often necessitate an electrical or mechanical connection to the electronic components contained within the housing. As such, these apparatuses require outlets for such connections (e.g., a switch engaging an internal electronic component which protrudes from the housing or a wired connection extending from an internal electronic component to an external device). During persistent harsh conditions, such as submersion in water, water may seep through these outlets and thereby damage the electronic components housed therein. Alternatively, these metal contacts from these connections may cause electrical sparks which are dangerous in various conditions, (e.g., environments where the connectors are exposed to flammable liquids or gases). Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for adjusting settings of a power system device without requiring a mechanical or electrical connection to its internal electronic components.
This and other desired benefits of the preferred embodiments, including combinations of features thereof, of the invention will become apparent from the following description. It will be understood, however, that a process or arrangement could still appropriate the claimed invention without accomplishing each and every one of these desired benefits, including those gleaned from the following description. The appended claims, not these desired benefits, define the subject matter of the invention. Any and all benefits are derived from the multiple embodiments of the invention, not necessarily the invention in general.